One of the speakers at the Siyum Hashas of the Kollel “Rina shel Torah” in the Pardes Katz neighborhood of Bnei Brak was the grandson of Hagaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, Rav Gedaliah Honigsberg, who told a story about his illustrious grandfather, Kikar Shabbos reported.

“Dozens of delegations have come to my grandfather’s house recently to update us and invite us to the many Siyumei Hashas in the hundreds of communities throughout Israel,” Rav Honigsberg said in his speech.

“A few days ago, when the delegations left my grandfather’s house and only close family remained, my grandfather said to us: ‘Do you want to know what true yegias haTorah is? It’s only Rav Dovid Karliner.'”

“My grandfather continued, saying: ‘Rav Dovid Karliner was a big masmid who was baki in the entire Torah. At the end of his days it was hard for him to see and he just sat and learned and disregarded all matters of Olam Hazeh.'”

“‘One day, as he was sitting and absorbed in his learning as usual, a tzedaka collector came to collect a donation. The meshulach sat and waited until Rav Dovid lifted his eyes from the Gemara and noticed him and when he finally did, he gave him a generous contribution.'”

“‘The meshulach noticed that Rav Dovid was a little out of it and gave him money without even looking at it and decided to take advantage. He sat and waited until Rav Dovid lifted his eyes from the Gemara again and when he did he again asked for a donation. He did this a number of times until Rav Dovid realized what was going on and said: ‘Why are you asking again? I gave you already.'”

“‘And then Rav Dovid said to the meshulach: ‘You think that I’m a senile old man and I forget everything. Maybe I forget some things regarding Olam Hazeh but you should know that I haven’t forgotten one thing from the Torah Hakadosha – not a kutzo shel yud.'”

“Here – my grandfather burst into tears and didn’t stop crying for several moments,” Rav Honigberg said. “We saw the deep emotion in his heart and his burning love of Torah – to teach us ‘likvoa itim l’Torah.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)